How R.E.M. Changed Music

If you can afford it, please consider donating to me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thebeatgoeson

A brief documentary about R.E.M. Produced and written by Matt Beat. Check out @remhq 's music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCZQMYjqm_j5mBVTfPcCy3FA

Sources/further reading and watching:
David Buckley (2002). R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography.
Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3onSHHG
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rem-mn0000325459/biography
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/early-myths-about-rem-debunked-what-we-learned-from-new-biography-begin-the-begin/
https://remhq.com/history/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b08pDZQM5AA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.E.M.
https://www.salon.com/2018/04/28/rem-plays-its-first-ever-show/
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/rem-reconstruction_of_fables
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2008-06-03-0806020096-story.html
https://chartmasters.org/r-e-m-albums-and-songs-sales

An annotated script of this video:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N6BegTKZE7e4JUy8Dk5PEcVni3dyWjKJBm2Xki8hGhw/edit?usp=sharing

0:00 Formation
3:39 The College Radio Darlings Era
11:58 The Mainstream Era
23:59 The Post-Bill-Berry Era
30:41 Legacy

R.E.M. remains one of the most influential and successful bands of all time. Before they were in the mainstream, they influenced the mainstream. When they finally entered the mainstream, they permanently changed it. R.E.M. is also one of the few bands to be both critically acclaimed yet extremely popular. And when I say “critically acclaimed,” I mean they are undeniably one of the most critically acclaimed bands of all time. I know, I know, critics are overrated, right? Well, they also have sold more than 90 million records worldwide. R.E.M. was a HUGE reason why “college rock” and “alternative rock” even exist in the first place. Look, when a band literally CREATES new genres of music, they’re kind of a big freaking deal.

So what’s your favorite R.E.M. song and album? My favorite song by them is “Shiny Happy People,” but any time I sing karaoke my first go-to pick is often “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” My favorite album? That’s a tough one, but yeah I’ll probably go with Automatic for the People to avoid scrutiny down there. Anyway, let me know yours below. Thanks for watching!

#r.e.m. #musicdocumentary #behindthemusic